Ad Lib Word Fun with Shakespeare
Have some fun with one of Shakespeare’s famous soliloquies! Have one person pick parts
of speech and another person record those answers, then read aloud for some laughs! This
can be done as a whole class, in small groups or pairs. Or, see how well your students know
Shakespeare’s actual words.
1
Over hill, over __________,
1. ___________________
2
Through __________, through brier,
2. ___________________
3
Over park, over __________,
3. ___________________
4
__________ flood, through fire,
4. ___________________
5
I do __________ everywhere,
5. ___________________
__________ than the moon’s sphere;
6. ___________________
7
And I serve the __________ queen,
7. ___________________
8
To __________ her orbs upon the green.
8. ___________________
9
The cowslips __________ her pensioners be:
9. ___________________
10
In their __________ coats spots you see;
10.___________________
11
Those be __________, fairy favours,
11.___________________
12
In those __________ live their savours:
12.___________________
13
I must go __________ some dewdrops here
13.___________________
14
And __________ a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
14.___________________
15
Farewell, thou __________ of spirits; I’ll be gone:
15.___________________
16
Our queen and all our elves __________ here anon. 16.___________________
6
noun (location)
noun (plant)
noun
preposition
verb
comparative adjective
adjective
verb
adjective
adjective
noun
noun
verb
verb
noun
verb
A Midsummer Night’s Dream—Act Two, Scene One
Provided compliments of PIONEER DRAMA SERVICE, INC. (www.pioneerdrama.com) Please feel free to reproduce for use in your classroom.
Ad Lib Word Fun with Shakespeare—Original Soliloquy
O
ver hill, over dale,
Thorough* bush, thorough* brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough* flood, thorough* fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon’s sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be:
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,
In those freckles live their savours:
I must go seek some dewdrops here
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I’ll be gone:
Our queen and all our elves come here anon.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream—Act Two, Scene One
* While “thorough” was corrected to “through” in the Second Folio, most texts retain the original spelling
from the “First Folio.”
Provided compliments of PIONEER DRAMA SERVICE, INC. (www.pioneerdrama.com) Please feel free to reproduce for use in your classroom.